Boudicca - Ancient History Encyclopedia Boudicca by Joshua J. Mark published on 08 November 2013 Boudicca was the Celtic Queen of the Iceni tribe of modern-day East Anglia, Britain , who led a revolt against Rome in 60/61 CE. The Iceni King, Prasutagus, an independent ally of Rome, divided his estate between his daughters and King Nero of Rome. When Prasutagus died, however, his lands were taken by Rome and the Iceni lost their status as allies. When his wife, Boudicca, objected to this action she was flogged and her two daughters raped. She mounted a revolt against Rome which left the ancient Roman cities of Camulodunum, Londinium and Verulamium in ruins and over 80,000 Roman citizens of Britain dead. She was defeated at the Battle of Watling Street by the Roman Governor Gaius Suetonius Paulinus chiefly by his judicious choice of battlefield and allowing her army to cut off its own escape route by encircling their rear with their wagons, animals and families.

Boudicca is said to have committed suicide by poisoning herself after her defeat. The primary sources of the story of Boudicca's revolt are the Roman historians, Publius Cornelius Tacitus (56-117 CE) and Cassius Dio (150-235 CE). These two offer different versions of the story in that Tacitus claims the revolt sprang from the ill treatment of the Iceni following Prasutagus' death while Dio writes that the cause of the uprising was a dispute over a loan. Remove Ads Advertisement The other significant difference in the versions is that Dio makes no mention of the flogging of Boudicca or the rape of her daughters and claims she died of wounds incurred in battle, not by poisoning. Tacitus' account is generally accepted as being more factual because his father-in-law, Gnaeus Julius Agricola (40-93 CE) was the governor in Britain chiefly responsible for the successful conquest of the region and served as Tacitus' primary source of information. There is no doubt of Agricola's participation in the suppression of Boudicca's revolt, serving under Suetonius as a young soldier in 61 CE.

Causes of Boudicca's Rebellion Boudicca was flogged and her daughters raped. Tacitus writes, "Prasutagus, king of the Iceni, after a life of long and renownded prosperity, had made the emperor co-heir with his own two daughters. Prasutagus hoped by this submissiveness to preserve his kingdom and household from attack. But it turned out otherwise. [After his death] kingdom and household alike were plundered like prizes of war , the one by Roman officers, the other by Roman slaves. As a beginning, his widow Boudicca was flogged and their daughters raped. The Icenian chiefs were deprived of their hereditary estates as if the Romans had been given the whole country. The king's own relatives were treated like slaves. And the humiliated Iceni feared still worse, now that they had been reduced to provincial status. So they rebelled." (Eyewitness to Ancient Rome, 197). The historian Miranda Aldhouse-Green cites an earlier Iceni rebellion, in 47 CE, as the cause of Prasutagus' elevation to chief of the tribe.

This rebellion was unsuccessful and it is unclear what role Prasutagus played in it but it seems clear that the Romans saw Prasutagus as a leader who could keep the peace between the Iceni and Rome. Aldhouse-Green also notes the significance of Prasutagus' will, which divided his estate between his daughters and Rome and omitted Boudicca, as evidence of the queen's hostility toward Rome. It is argued that, by leaving her out of the will, Prasutagus hoped his daughters would continue his policy of cooperation. After his death, however, all hope of the Iceni existing peacefully with Rome was lost. Advertisement Boudicca's War Boudicca first struck the city of Camulodunum (modern Colchester) where she massacred the inhabitants and destroyed the settlement. Governor Suetonius was engaged in putting down an uprising on the Island of Mona and so the Roman citizens appealed to imperial agent Catus Decianus. He sent a lightly armed force of 200 men who proved ineffective in defense of the city. The Ninth Roman Division, led by Rufus, marched to relieve the settlement but were routed and the infantry decimated by the Briton forces.

Tacticus cites the greed and rapacity of men like Catus Decianus for the viciousness of the Britons in revolt. Suetonius, returning from Mona, marched to Londinium (modern London) but, upon receiving intelligence that Boudicca's forces far outnumbered his own, left the city to its fate and sought a field more advantageous for battle. Boudicca's army sacked Londinium and, as before, massacred the inhabitants. Suetonius had offered the people of the city safe passage with his army and it seems many accepted this offer. However, Tacitus writes, "but those who stayed because they were women, or old, or attached to the place, were slaughtered by the enemy.

Verulamium suffered the same fate." Boudicca: Warrior Queen of the Iceni Boudicca: Warrior Queen of the Iceni By Owen Jarus, Live Science Contributor | May 31, 2013 05:43pm ET MORE Credit: Claudio Divizia Shutterstock Boudicca (also spelled Boudica or Boudicea) was the queen of the Iceni, a tribe based in modern day Norfolk, in eastern England. In A.D. 60, she led a revolt against the Romans that resulted in the destruction of two (possibly three) Roman settlements and almost drove the empire off the island. Much of what we know about her comes from two Roman writers, Publius Cornelius Tacitus (A.D. 56-117) and Cassius Dio (A.D. 150-235). The revolt began after the death of her husband, Prasutagus, around A.D. 60. Tacitus writes that the Romans seized Iceni property, flogged Boudicca and raped her two daughters.

She then raised an army and led a rebellion against the Romans which, after initial success, was crushed at the Battle of Watling Street. For a society as patriarchal as imperial Rome, the fact that a woman had succeeded in killing so many Romans was disconcerting to say the least. “Two cities were sacked, eighty thousand of the Romans and of their allies perished, and the island was lost to Rome. Moreover, all this ruin was brought upon the Romans by a woman, a fact which in itself caused them the greatest shame,” wrote Dio (translation by Earnest Cary, through penelope.uchicago.edu ). The only physical description of Boudicca that survives comes from Dio. Although it may not be accurate, it leaves readers with the impression that Boudicca was a determined war leader. “In stature she was very tall, in appearance most terrifying, in the glance of her eye most fierce, and her voice was harsh; a great mass of the tawniest hair fell to her hips; around her neck was a large golden necklace; and she wore a tunic of divers colours over which a thick mantle was fastened with a brooch.

This was her invariable attire ...” wrote Dio, who added that she clutched a spear when she spoke to her people. Dio (unlike Tacitus) doesn’t mention the flogging of Boudicca, or the rape of her daughters, and claims the uprising was over a Roman loan. The Romans and the Iceni The Roman Empire, under Emperor Claudius, launched a successful invasion of Britain in A.D. 43 with an army estimated to be around 40,000 men. Military campaigns had been launched by earlier Roman leaders against the Brits (one notably led by Julius Caesar) but this time the Romans were here to stay. [ Related: Hadrian's Wall: Northern Frontier of the Roman Empire ] Claudius’ force didn’t try and defeat every British tribe. Several leaders offered to make their kingdoms “client-states” of Rome. This basically meant that as long as their leaders lived, and did Rome’s bidding when asked, they could maintain some level of sovereignty within the Roman Empire. The Iceni were one of the tribes who agreed to this arrangement and they remained a client state of Rome up until the death of Prasutagus around A.D. 60.

The Iceni, at the time of the Roman invasion, were a wealthy people (as evidenced by hoards of precious metals that have been found) whose leaders had been minting coins for nearly a century. Some of the earliest Iceni coins show an image of what Miranda Aldhouse-Green, a Cardiff University professor, calls a “snapping wolf,” a choice that may offer an insight into the psyche of these people. The “wolf is both a wild creature, a potential enemy to humans, and also lives and hunts in packs; it therefore may have acted as a symbol of independent solidarity,” she writes in her book, "Boudica Britannia: Rebel, War-Leader and Queen" (Pearson Education, 2006). She also notes that the Iceni people also kept making ceramics by hand, even though they had access to the potter’s wheel. Even before Boudicca, the Iceni’s client-state relationship with Rome was problematic. In A.D. 47, a short-lived unsuccessful revolt was launched by the Iceni against Rome.

This rebellion may have led to the elevation of Prasutagus to the leadership of the tribe, perhaps being seen by the Romans as a leader who could keep the Iceni in line. Aldhouse-Green notes that the design of the coins minted by Prasutagus appear to strike a balance between showing the tribe’s allegiance to Rome and displaying a degree of independence, as if Prasutagus was trying to walk a fine line between the two sides. The coins “are imitations of early Neronian issues and their obverse depicts a high-relief portrait that closely resembles Nero himself,” she writes, “the reverse redresses the cultural balance and bear a very un-Roman design of a fantastic horse, a motif common to a range of tribal rulers’ coinage.” Even in his will, Prasutagus tried to strike a balance between the Iceni and the Romans. In it he left his kingdom to his two daughters and the Roman emperor Nero. The exclusion of Boudicca in his will has led historians to speculate that, even when her husband was still alive, the Iceni queen held strong anti-Roman views.

This client-state arrangement came crashing down upon the death of Prasutagus, however, with the Romans treating the Iceni, Boudicca and her daughters terribly. His “kingdom was plundered by centurions, his house by slaves, as if they were the spoils of war. First, his wife Boudicea was scourged (flogged), and his daughters outraged. All the chief men of the Iceni, as if Rome had received the whole country as a gift, were stripped of their ancestral possessions, and the king's relatives were made slaves...” wrote Tacitus (Translation by Alfred John Church, through Perseus Digital Library ) Initial success With her kingdom’s independence lost, her daughters raped, and herself having been personally flogged, Boudicca had had enough. She raised an army, gaining supporting from another aggrieved tribe known as the Trinovantes. 'Boadicea Haranguing the Britons (called Boudicca, or Boadicea),' by William Sharp, after John Opie line engraving, published 1793.

Credit: National Portrait Gallery, London She focused her wrath on the Roman settlements of Camulodunum (modern-day Colchester) and Londinium (London), burning both of them to the ground. Archaeologists have found evidence of the fires her forces lit. “At Camulodunum and Londinium the results of the Boudican revolt may be compared, on a smaller scale, with those of the volcanic eruptions that smothered Pompeii and Herculaneum,” write researchers Richard Hingley and Christina Unwin in their book, "Boudica: Iron Age Warrior Queen" (Cambridge University Press, 2005). The towns were destroyed. In addition, Tacitus claims that Boudicca also destroyed the town of Verulamium, although the archaeological evidence for this is less clear. Boudicca was helped by the fact that at the time her rebellion was launched much of the Roman army in Britain was on the Isle of Anglesey, in Wales, destroying a Druid site at Mona. This meant that, for awhile, the rebels would only encounter small numbers of Roman troops.

After her successes, Dio records, Boudicca’s army had swelled to 230,000 people, a figure that was probably exaggerated. Battle of Watling Street University of Leicester professor David Mattingly writes that the Roman commander on the island, Gaius Suetonius Paulinus, amassed what forces he could, numbering perhaps only 10,000 men. He gave battle to Boudicca somewhere near Watling Street, an ancient road on the island. While Paulinus was heavily outnumbered, he did have several other advantages. His legionnaires were well trained, equipped and probably battle hardened. Boudicca’s forces on the other hand were anything but. In “a fast-moving rebellion there was neither time to fabricate large numbers of arms, nor, evidently, was there the opportunity for rebel forces to pillage major stockpiles of Roman weaponry,” Mattingly writes in his book "An Imperial Possession: Britain in the Roman Empire" (Penguin Books, 2006).

He notes that while a “core” of Boudica’s army was properly armed “many of the rebels will have had no body armour and will have been provided with makeshift weapons, such as agricultural tools.” Additionally, while scholars don’t know precisely where Paulinus engaged Boudicca, we know from Tacitus that it was in a “narrow defile” with a forest at the rear. This meant that Boudicca could not bring her superior numbers to bear on the Roman forces. Also, Tacitus notes that Boudicca made a tactical mistake in placing her supply wagons close to the front lines, blocking her troops when they had to retreat. The Roman legions started the battle by launching spears at the British. These spears would have killed some Brits and hit the shields of others, possibly sticking to them and rendering them useless. Then the Roman troops “rushed out in a wedge-like column. Similar was the onset of the auxiliaries, while the cavalry with extended lances broke through all who offered a strong resistance.” The rebels tried to flee but “flight proved difficult, because the surrounding wagons had blocked retreat,” writes Tacitus.

The Romans massacred all who they could, even killing the animals which the rebels used to move their supplies. The battle over, Tacitus said that Boudicca took poison to avoid being captured, while Dio said that she died of illness (possibly from a wound). Mattingly writes that Paulinus then “set about re-subjugating the implicated areas by ‘fire and sword’ and this extended not only to the most hostile peoples, but also even to those who had simply wavered in their loyalty.” Britain would remain part of the Roman Empire until the fifth century A.D. when the western half of the empire collapsed. Boudicca today While Boudicca’s rebellion failed to drive the Romans out of Britain, the Iceni queen has become something of a modern-day heroine. [ Related: Camelot, King Arthur & the Knights of the Round Table ] “Boudicca has become an icon of British national history and is now a symbol not only of British freedom but also of women’s power,” writes University of Newcastle researcher Marguerite Johnson in her book "Boudicca" (Bristol Classic Press, 2012).

“She has been painted and sculpted; she has ‘starred’ in films and has been the protagonist of numerous books, both of an academic and fictional nature.” In 1902, not long after the death of Queen Victoria, who was the longest reigning monarch in British history, a statue of Boudicca was unveiled next to Westminster Bridge in London. Standing in her war chariot, and clutching a spear, it shows the Iceni queen ready to take on the might of Rome. BBC - History - Boudicca z Imagined portrait of Boudicca © Boudicca was queen of the Iceni people of Eastern England and led a major uprising against occupying Roman forces. Boudicca was married to Prasutagus, ruler of the Iceni people of East Anglia. When the Romans conquered southern England in AD 43, they allowed Prasutagus to continue to rule. However, when Prasutagus died the Romans decided to rule the Iceni directly and confiscated the property of the leading tribesmen. They are also said to have stripped and flogged Boudicca and raped her daughters. These actions exacerbated widespread resentment at Roman rule.

In 60 or 61 AD, while the Roman governor Gaius Suetonius Paullinus was leading a campaign in North Wales, the Iceni rebelled. Members of other tribes joined them. Boudicca's warriors successfully defeated the Roman Ninth Legion and destroyed the capital of Roman Britain, then at Colchester. They went on to destroy London and Verulamium (St Albans). Thousands were killed. Finally, Boudicca was defeated by a Roman army led by Paulinus. Many Britons were killed and Boudicca is thought to have poisoned herself to avoid capture. The site of the battle, and of Boudicca's death, are unknown. Boudicca, the Celtic Queen that unleashed fury on the Romans | Ancient Origins 12 September, 2014 - 13:38 aprilholloway Boudicca, the Celtic Queen that unleashed fury on the Romans (Read the article on one page) We British are used to women commanders in war; I am descended from mighty men! But I am not fighting for my kingdom and wealth now.

I am fighting as an ordinary person for my lost freedom, my bruised body, and my outraged daughters.... Consider how many of you are fighting — and why! Then you will win this battle, or perish. That is what I, a woman, plan to do!— let the men live in slavery if they will. These are the words of Queen Boudicca, according to ancient historian Tacitus, as she summoned her people to unleash war upon the invading Romans in Britain. Boudicca, sometimes written Boadicea, was queen of the Iceni tribe, a Celtic clan which united a number of British tribes in revolt against the occupying forces of the Roman Empire in 60-61 AD. While she famously succeeded in defeating the Romans in three great battles, their victories would not last. The Romans rallied and eventually crushed the revolts, executing thousands of Iceni and taking the rest as slaves. Boudicca’s name has been remembered through history as the courageous warrior queen who fought for freedom from oppression, for herself, and all the Celtic tribes of Britain.

Early years Little is known about Boudicca's upbringing because the only information about her comes from Roman sources, in particular from Tacitus (56 – 117 AD), a senator and historian of the Roman Empire, and Cassius Dio (155 – 235 AD), a Roman consul and noted historian. However, it is believed that she was born into an elite family in the ancient town of Camulodunum (now Colchester) in around 30 AD, and may have been named after the Celtic goddess of victory, Boudiga. As an adolescent, Boudicca would have been sent away to another aristocratic family to be trained in the history and customs of the tribe, as well as learning how to fight in battle. Ancient Celtic women served as both warriors and rulers, and girls could be trained to fight with swords and other weapons, just as the boys were. Celtic women were distinct in the ancient world for the liberty and rights they enjoyed and the position they held in society. Compared to their counterparts in Greek, Roman, and other ancient societies, they were allowed much freedom of activity and protection under the law. Celtic woman were trained to use swords and other weapons.

Image source . In 43 AD, before the time that Boudicca reached adulthood, the Romans invaded Britain, and most of the Celtic tribes were forced to submit. However, the Romans allowed two Celtic kings to retain some of their traditional power as it was normal Roman practice to allow kingdoms their independence for the lifetime of their client king, who would then agree to leave his kingdom to Rome in his will. One of these kings was Prasutagus, whom Boudicca went on to marry at the age of 18. Their wedding was celebrated for a day and a night and during this time they also gave offerings to the Celtic gods. Together they had two daughters, called Isolda and Siora. However, it was not a time of harmony for Boudicca and Prasutagus. The Roman occupation brought increased settlement, military presence, and attempts to suppress Celtic religious culture. There were major economic changes, including heavy taxes and money lending. In 60 AD life changed dramatically for Boudicca, with the death of her husband.

As Prasutagus had ruled as a nominally independent, but forced ‘ally’ of Rome, he left his kingdom jointly to his wife and daughters, and the Roman emperor. However, Roman law only allowed inheritance through the male line, so when Prasutagus died, his attempts to preserve his line were ignored and his kingdom was annexed as if it had been conquered. “Kingdom and household alike were plundered like prizes of war.... The Chieftains of the Iceni were deprived of their family estates as if the whole country had been handed over to the Romans. The king's own relatives were treated like slaves.” — Tacitus To humiliate the former rulers, the Romans confiscated Prasutagus’s land and property, took the nobles as slaves, publicly flogged Boudicca, and raped their two daughters. This would prove to be the catalyst, which would see Boudicca demanding revenge against the brutal invaders of her lands. Tacitus records the words spoken by Boudicca as she vowed to avenge the actions of the Roman invaders: “Nothing is safe from Roman pride and arrogance. They will deface the sacred and will deflower our virgins.

Win the battle or perish, that is what I, a woman, will do.” Boudicca – Warrior Queen of the Iceni | Celtic Rings Ltd Boudicca – Warrior Queen Boudicca – Warrior Queen of the Iceni Boudicca (spelled in a variety of ways) was the legendary queen of the Iceni, a Celtic tribe that resided in Britain. Her reign corresponded with the Roman occupation of Britain and while her leadership was brief, it was so memorable that historians still speak about it 2,000 years later. Boudicca has been described as the ‘first British heroine’ and is an early example of Girl Power in action! Early Life Not a great deal is known about Boudicca’s early years which is hardly a surprise since we are relying on the writings of two Roman scribes; Tacitus and Cassius Dio, and Boudicca’s reign occurred when the former writer was a baby and around 100 years before the birth of the latter! However, both men agree that she was of Royal descent and was known for being extremely intelligent.

It is said that she struck quite a figure as she was tall, powerfully built with long red hair, a piercing stare and harsh voice. She got married to Prasutagus, king of the Iceni tribe who lived in Norfolk. The Iceni initially managed to retain independence when Claudius conquered Britain in AD 43 and threatened a revolt four years later when a Roman governor made plans to disarm the tribe. Prasutagus wanted to preserve the peace so before he died, he made the Roman emperor co-heir to his kingdom along with his Boudicca and her two daughters. It is said that she struck quite a figure as she was tall, powerfully built with long red hair, a piercing stare and harsh voice. Unfortunately, the king made a grievous error since under Roman law, inheritance was only allowed through the male line so when Prasutagus died with no male heir, the Romans annexed the Iceni kingdom. It was as if the tribe had been conquered even though they had not been defeated on the battlefield. Revolt The leading tribesmen of the Iceni had their land taken away and Boudicca claimed that she was raped and flogged along with her two daughters.

This is where the legend of Boudicca really begins as in AD 60, she raised an army and joined forces with the Trinovantes, another disaffected tribe. It says much for Boudicca’s character that she was chosen to be the leader of the combined forces. Sources suggest that the tribes took inspiration from their ancestors who drove the Romans from Britain 100 years before and the prince of the Cherusci, Arminius, who defeated the Romans in Germany half a century previously. Victory Boudicca wasted no time and her forces destroyed Camulodunum (modern day Colchester) which was the previous Trinovantian capital before it was taken by the Romans. When the Romans inside the city appealed for help, only 200 soldiers were sent and Boudicca’s forces showed no mercy and wiped out the inhabitants. Modern historians stated that the fury of this attack was akin to a mini Pompeii or Herculaneum, cities that had been destroyed by volcanic eruptions! A Roman governor tried to assist the city but his forces were also annihilated. Archaeologists claim that the city was methodically destroyed by the rebels.

The timing of the revolt was impeccable because the governor, Gaius Suetonius Paulinus, had his hands full on the Isle of Anglesey where his army was busily destroying a Druid settlement at Mona. As a result, initial battles were one-sided as Boudicca’s army greatly outnumbered the Roman enemy. While Cassius Dio estimated her army to have 230,000 soldiers, this is almost certainly an exaggeration. When Boudicca’s army arrived, a massacre took place and all those within London city died. The next target was Londinium (London) and while Suetonius had returned with a small garrison, he decided not to defend the city and abandoned it to its fate. When Boudicca’s army arrived, a massacre took place and all those within the city died. While the Roman sources claim that 70,000 people died in the rampage, again, it is probable that this number was exaggerated to dehumanise the Celtic forces.

Defeat Boudicca’s revolt was not to last much longer however as Suetonius gathered an army of 10,000+ trained soldiers and prepared for battle at Watling Street, an ancient trackway that linked Canterbury and St Albans. It was AD 61 and Boudicca’s army came from St Albans to meet the Roman governor. This was to be a grave mistake as it gave the Romans a massive advantage; while they were heavily outnumbered, the Romans had excellent equipment and experience in battle. In contrast, few of Boudicca’s army had armour and most were armed with agricultural tools. It is said that Boudicca sat on a chariot and gave a rousing speech before the battle. Tacitus wrote that the Queen of the Iceni told the Romans that she was avenging lost freedom and the abuse of her, her daughters and her kingdom. She concluded by saying her cause was just and that she would rather die than live as a slave. The fleeing rebels were blocked by their own wagons and slaughtered by the merciless Romans.

While this surely roused her army, she did not have the tactical knowledge to get the best out of her advantage in numbers in an open field and the Romans began with a salvo of javelins which killed thousands of the rebels. The Romans then attacked in a wedge formation and the fleeing rebels were blocked by their own wagons and slaughtered by the merciless Romans. Given the numbers of the field, it was a surprisingly quick battle though Tacitus was probably exaggerating again when he said 80,000 rebels died while only 4,000 Romans perished. Death & Legacy The Roman sources disagree on what happened to Boudicca after the battle. While Dio claims she died of an illness, Tacitus’ account of how she committed suicide by drinking poison to avoid capture seems more likely. Boudicca’s rebellion may have ultimately failed but she is now seen as a modern day heroine. Historians have remarked on how the Iceni queen is an icon of British history while being a symbol both of British freedom and also of female power.

The enduring nature of her legend can be seen through the various movies retelling the story and in 1902, a statue of Boudicca was unveiled near Westminster Bridge in London. It is an amazing image of a proud female warrior standing in a war chariot, holding a spear; it is a figure of fearlessness, hope and freedom and aptly sums up a remarkable woman who was prepared to stand up to the might of Rome and die for a cause she believed was just. Iceni | people | Britannica.com people Yi Iceni, in ancient Britain , a tribe that occupied the territory of present-day Norfolk and Suffolk and, under its queen Boudicca (Boadicea), revolted against Roman rule. The Iceni made a treaty with the Romans at the time of Claudius ’s invasion of Britain (ad 43), but they rebelled in 47 when the Romans attempted to disarm them. After quelling the revolt, the Romans controlled the Iceni through a complaisant client king, Prasutagus , until his death (ad 60–61).

When the Romans then attempted to annex his realm, his queen, Boudicca, led a revolt of all East Anglia . The Britons were initially successful, but ultimately the Romans suppressed the rebellion harshly and reduced the Iceni to a small tribal community , or civitas, with its capital at Venta Icenorum (present-day Caistor St. Edmunds, near Norwich). The tribe’s economy was largely agricultural, with a thriving local pottery industry and evidence of trade in wool. The area was not poor, however, and excavators have discovered, for example, a series of silver and gold hoards at Mildenhall and Thetford (dating from the 2nd to the 4th century). German invaders found settlements in the early 5th century and began the era of Anglo-Saxon England. Learn More in these related articles: BBC - Primary History - Romans - Rebellion Primary History What happened after the rebellion? Why did the British rebel? By AD 61, the Romans were in control of southern Britain. Then they faced their most serious problem to date - rebellion! It began while the Roman governor Paulinus (the soldier in charge of Roman Britain) was away in North Wales.

He had led the Roman army and got rid of the Druids, the priests of the old Celtic religion. The trouble started in East Anglia. The Iceni tribe lived there and Prasutagus, the king, was a friend of the Romans. When he died, he left half his kingdom to the Roman emperor, and half to his wife, Queen Boudicca. The Romans wanted it all. They also wanted extra taxes and they wanted Boudicca to give up her throne. Back to top How did the Romans get it wrong? The Romans treated Boudicca and her daughters very badly. They took land and farm animals away from the Iceni. The Iceni became very angry, and decided to fight back! The Romans ran away. Warriors from other tribes came to join Boudicca and her Iceni army. Back to top Which Roman towns were burned? The Britons marched to Camulodunum (Colchester), the capital of Roman Britain. Boudicca's warriors attacked the town. They burned the new Roman temple, where Roman soldiers and their families had taken shelter. Next Boudicca led her army towards Londinium (London).

The Romans had made London an important town and port. By now, news of the rebellion had spread. The Roman governor, Paulinus, dashed from Wales to London, but he did not have enough soldiers to fight Boudicca. He left London, taking his soldiers with him. Many people fled the city. The Iceni burned London and killed hundreds of people, both Britons and Romans. Back to top What did the Roman Army do? Boudicca turned north to attack another Roman town, Verulamium (St Albans). Paulinus was in the Midlands, preparing for battle. He called for more soldiers. Part of the Roman army was at Exeter, but its commander refused to come. Paulinus had to make do with what he could muster - perhaps 10,000 men. Boudicca may have had ten times more soldiers than the Romans, but the Romans were well trained. There was a great battle. The only reports of it come from Roman writers, such as Tacitus. Tacitus says most of the Britons were killed. Rather than be captured, Boudicca drank poison to kill herself. The Romans had won. Back to top What happened after the rebellion?

After Boudicca's rebellion, people in southern Britain settled down to live under Roman rule. Many Britons enjoyed living in Roman-style towns with baths and shops. Some spoke and wrote in Latin (the Roman language), and wore Roman fashions. Tacitus thought these luxuries were making the people of Britain weak. Fun Facts In a London river, archaeologists found the skulls of people possibly killed by Boudicca's army. A red-ash layer in the soil shows how hot the fire was when Roman London burned. Boudicca rode in a horse-drawn chariot. Romans said she sliced the heads off her enemies, as she charged into battle. A modern myth says that Boudicca's body is buried under platform 9 at King's Cross Station in London. BBC © 2014 The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read more. This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so.

A to D Acropolis [a-CROP-olis] The Acropolis is a large hill in the centre of Athens. On top of it were many temples and other buildings, the remains of which can be seen today. amphitheatre A place like a stadium, where Romans went to watch animals and people fighting. aqueduct A system of pipes and channels used to bring water into towns. archaeological site A place such as a ruined fort studied by archaeologists. archaeologists People who study the past by looking at old things, often found underground. archaeology Studying the past by looking at old things, often found underground. Aristophanes [aris-TOF-a-neez] Lived in Athens in the 5th century BC. He wrote comedies for the theatre in Athens. Aspasia [as-PAY-zia] Was a woman to taught public speaking in Athens. She was the partner of the famous general Perikles. Aspasia had much more independence than most women in Athens. barbarian A person who lived outside the Roman Empire, seen by Romans as violent and uncivilized. basilica A large building where town business was carried out (like a modern Town Hall).

assembly The Assembly was the public meeting of the giovernment of the city. All citizens could take part and vote there. Athena The patron goddess of Athens. A huge statue of Athena stood outside the Parthenon. Attica [A-tik-a] A wind instrument with a reed similar to a modern oboe. capital city Main city of a country, the centre of government. catapult A machine that threw rocks or burning tar at the enemies. In Latin it was called an onager. cavalry Soldiers who fight on horseback. chariot Cart with two wheels pulled by horses. Romans raced chariots, and Celtic warriors rode into battle on them. celts People who lived in Europe, including Britain, and who fought the Romans. centurion An officer commanding about 80 legionaries. citizen Person with special rights such as the right to vote and own property in the Roman Empire. Only men could be full Roman citizens. cohort There were ten cohorts in a legion. crossbow Weapon like a bow and arrow, only the string is pulled back by turning a handle and the bow is fired by releasing a trigger. In Latin it was called a ballista druids The priests of the old Celtic religion.

E to G Process where people vote to choose the people they want to be in charge. empire A large area with many people ruled by one strong leader, called an emperor. forum An open space in the middle of a town for markets and meeting people (like a market square). It was the centre of Roman town life. fort A building with walls to keep out enemies, used by soldiers. foundations Firm base for a road or building. general leader of an army, the soldier giving the orders to everyone else. gladiator A person trained to fight other gladiators or animals in amphitheatres. governor The ruler of Roman Britain, who worked for the Roman Emperor. H to L hypocaust Roman central heating. Hot air from a furnace (fire) flowed through gaps between walls and flooring latin The language spoken and written by the Romans. legate The officer commanding a whole legion. legion The main battle unit of the Roman army, its soldiers were called legionaries. There were between 4,000 and 6,000 legionaries in a legion. legend A story made up about people in the past M to O A pattern made from coloured pieces of stones and pottery.

myth A made-up story, often about gods and spirits, told to explain things such as why the sun rises and sets every day. P to Z Money paid to a retired worker or soldier. picts people who lived in Scotland republic A country without a king, queen or emperor. The Roman republic was ruled by the elected Senate. Most countries today are republics. sacred Something that is believed to be holy and to have a special connection with a god or gods. scroll Roman book, written on a long strip of paper rolled around a stick. senate The Roman government, made up of senators. senator A person elected to the Roman Senate who helped run the government. Some countries today, like the U.S.A., have senators. sewage Dirty water and toilet waste which flows into sewers from drains and toilets. sewers Pipes or tunnels that carry away sewage. slave Someone who can be sold to another person to work for nothing. A slave is not free and has no rights. slingshot Weapon for throwing stones, made from a long strip of leather and whirled around by the thrower. standard Roman army emblem, a pole with special decorations (such as a metal eagle) carried by a soldier.

Each legion had its own standards. stirrups the metal holder for a rider's foot. Attached to a horse's saddle by a leather strap. strigil A metal object used in Roman baths to scrape sweat, dirt and excess oil off. stylus A metal pen for scratching words into soft wax on wooden tablets. taxes Money or items taken by the government from people, to pay for things like the army, wars, emperor's palaces and building roads. Thatched roofs Roofs of buildings made from bundles of straw or reeds. treadmill Machine like a big wheel inside which slaves walked round, to turn the machine. tribe A group of people who live in one part of a country and are ruled by a chief. tutor A teacher who gives lessons to a student at home. underworld A gloomy place where Romans believed your soul went after you died. villa A large house in the country. Some Roman villas were farmhouses and some were like palaces. warrior A trained soldier, someone used to fighting in wars.

wreath Queen Boudica (Boadicea) of the Iceni By Ben Johnson | Comments Britain has produced many fierce, noble warriors down the ages who have fought to keep Britain free, but there was one formidable lady in history whose name will never be forgotten - Queen Boudica or Boadicea as she is more commonly called. At the time of the Roman conquest of southern Britain Queen Boudica ruled the Iceni tribe of East Anglia alongside her husband King Prasutagus. Boudica was a striking looking woman. - "She was very tall, the glance of her eye most fierce; her voice harsh. A great mass of the reddest hair fell down to her hips. Her appearance was terrifying." - Definitely a lady to be noticed! The trouble started when Prasutagus, hoping to curry favour with the Romans, made the Roman Emperor Nero co-heir with his daughters to his considerable kingdom and wealth. He hoped by this ploy, to keep his kingdom and household free from attack. But no! Unfortunately the Roman Governor of Britain at that time was Suetonius Paulinus who had other ideas on the subject of lands and property.

After Prasutagus's death his lands and household were plundered by the Roman officers and their slaves. Not content with taking all the property and lands, Suetonius had Prasutagus' widow Boudica publicly flogged and her daughters were raped by Roman slaves! Other Iceni chiefs suffered in a like manner and their families were treated like slaves. Not surprisingly these outrages provoked the Iceni, Trinobantes and other tribes to rebel against the Romans. The Britons at first had great successes. They captured the hated Roman settlement of Camulodunum (Colchester) and the Roman division there was routed, the Imperial agent fleeing to Gaul. Boudica and her allies gave no quarter in their victories and when Londinium (London) and Verulamium (St. Albans) were stormed, the defenders fled and the towns were sacked and burned! The revolting Britons even desecrated the Roman cemeteries, mutilating statues and breaking tombstones. Some of these mutilated statues can be seen today in Colchester Museum.

Finally Suetonius, who had made a tactical withdrawal (fled) with his troops into relative safety of the Roman military zone, decided to challenge Boudica. He assembled an army of 10,000 regulars and auxiliaries, the backbone of which was made up from the 14th Legion. The Roman historian Tacitus in his 'Annals of Rome' gives a very vivid account of the final battle, which was fought in the Midlands of England, possibly at place called Mancetter near Nuneaton, in AD61. Boudica and her daughters drove round in her chariot to all her tribes before the battle, exhorting them to be brave. She cried that she was descended from mighty men but she was fighting as an ordinary person for her lost freedom, her bruised body and outraged daughters. Perhaps as taunt to the men in her ranks, it is said that she asked them to consider: 'Win the battle or perish: that is what I, a woman will do; you men can live on in slavery if that's what you want.' The Britons attacked crowding in on the Roman defensive line.

The order was given and a volley of several thousand heavy Roman javelins was thrown into the advancing Britons, followed quickly by a second volley. The lightly armed Britons must have suffered massive casualties within the first minutes of the battle. The Romans moved in for the kill, attacking in tight formation, stabbing with their short swords. The Britons now had little chance, with so many of them involved in the battle it is likely that their massed ranks worked against them by restricting their movements so they were unable to use their long swords effectively. To ensure success the Roman cavalry was released which promptly encircled the enemy and began their slaughter from the rear. Seemingly mad with blood lust, Tacitus records that 80,000 Britons; men, women and children, were killed. The Roman losses amounted to 400 dead with a slightly larger number wounded. Boudica was not killed in the battle but took poison rather than be taken alive by the Romans. Boudica has secured a special place of her own in British folk history remembered for her courage; The Warrior Queen who fought the might of Rome.

And in a way she did get her revenge, as in 1902 a bronze statue of her riding high in her chariot, designed by Thomas Thorneycroft, was placed on the Thames embankment next to the Houses of Parliament in the old Roman capital of Britain, Londinium - The ultimate in Girl Power! Tweet If you enjoyed this article, you might also like... The Romans in southern Britain (England) - With the Roman Conquest in 43 AD came the first written records of England's history. Julius Caesar had of course paid earlier visits to Britain in 55 and 54 BC however these had only been to please his adoring public back home in Rome (political propaganda!)

Question: Of which tribe was Boudicca the queen?
Answer: ICENI